According to a post on the Senator’s official Facebook page the theatre will close tonight (Thursday, April 26, 2012) after the scheduled viewings of The Hunger Games. It’s said the closing is required to move forward with their renovation plans that will add three screening auditoriums to the north and south sides of the original historic building as well as a wine bar.

Those interested in details should visit the theatre’s commerical site to see the city approved floorplan and two thumbnail renderings of the completed project via the “Renovations Blog” link: http://www.thesenatortheatre.com

Separately, the city said it would proceed with installing a temporary roof on the Read’s building, whose interior timber framing has partially collapsed from years of water leakage.

The roof, however, is not expected to be installed until late spring or early summer, leading CHAP commissioner Larry Gibson to wonder whether the building itself might fall down. “Demolition by neglect is a specialty in this city,” he said.

An engineering consultant said that was unlikely because the steel beams and exterior masonry walls appeared to be in satisfactory condition. The temporary roof on the city-owned building would cost about $550,000.

Although the engineering consultant makes it sound like demolition is unlikely, it’s hard to ignore that the neglect led to Read’s roof collapse and it’s much more costly to reconstruct as opposed to preventative maintenance/repairs, especially when you’re talking about proper restoration to an historic structure.

So, while it’s hoped that the City and The Senator’s current operators will see the wisdom of making an honest and visible effort to reverse the effects of deferred maintenance, once again, I encourage those who understand the significance of the internationally recognized Senator Theatre, the last historic, operational movie house in Baltimore City, to sign this online petition:

It has been more than a full year since Mr. Cusack and his daughter became the operating tenants to the city owned, internationally recognized Senator Theatre. Many Baltimoreans had high expectations that the operators of The Charles Theatre would rejuvenate and revitalize The Senator given the plans presented. However, lately I’ve been hearing from residents and patrons that the state of the theatre in the meantime has deteriorated.

Having not been in the Belvedere Square area recently I made it a point to drive past The Senator this Thursday night. I was literally stunned by just how badly the theatre looked from the street. In my 27 years as a patron of The Senator .

While I cannot call myself a close friend of longtime Senator Theatre exhibition expert and film preservationist legend William (“Bill”) Hewitt, I’ve enjoyed countless films he presented over the years. I was even more fortunate have briefly worked with him (as did my family and several others during 18th month all-volunteer period). Given this and what I’ve learned of the man from others, it’s obvious he was the consummate film exhibition professional, and, a tremendous contributor to The Senator’s fame. I am therefore comfortable stating that he would NEVER have accepted the “black-eyed” appearance The Senator Theatre now conveys in the Belvedere Square community.

Moreover, my heart and jaw dropped as I realized that this man’s “memorial”, placed on the iconic marquee, occupied the dark center section.

[Mr. Cusack] also said there’s no current maintenance being done on the building because they are waiting for state funds and city approval to begin a rehab of the structure.

If this has been the approach by the tenants toward maintenance, as it seems, what should we expect if they are not awarded government funding they expect to receive?

The citizen-owners of this Baltimore landmark, historic building advocates, film historians and preservationists alike should not only take note of the situation, but make their opinions and voices heard – via online petition, yes, but also at Baltimore City Hall. For what does it say of us if we allow this last remaining, operational, historic Baltimore movie house to be neglected – In a state in which The Senator Theatre and The League of Historic American Theatres calls home?

We are saddened to pass along that celebrated, long time Senator Theatre projectionist William “Bill” Hewitt passed away early yesterday morning:

The Senator Theatre on Facebook:
“We wish to take a moment to remember a very dear friend. Projectionist and Manager of The Senator Theatre for many years. William Hewitt (1936 – 2011).”

Former theatre owner Tom Kiefaber on Facebook:
“The motion-picture exhibition industry lost a great one today. William H “Bill” Hewitt, [75]Bill a film collector who saved irreplaceable footage from extinction over a lifetime, projectionist extraordinaire, encyclopedic expert on film and radio history, dog lover and a compatriot coworker for over 35 years, passed today at 2am, yet his extended, multi-faceted list credits are still rolling. For over 30 years, The Senator Theatre’s renowned national reputation for obsessive technical excellence and consistency was the sole achievement of William H. Hewitt. He was The Master.”

Many have enjoyed the skill, dedication and professionalism Mr. Hewitt brought to the exhibition of film at The Senator over the years.
R.I.P. Mr. Hewitt.

According to a Towson Patch article the original anchor tenant’s last day will be Friday, May 15 to make way for renovations.

[A new theater] is planned for the long-stalled Towson Circle III project, but until then movie lovers will have to trek to the Regal cinema in Hunt Valley, the AMC cinema in Owings Mills or The Senator Theatre in Govans to get their fill.

And, some more changes apparently are coming to the Belvedere Square retail area:

Evergreene Architectural Arts (http://www.evergreene.com/) was commissioned to perform an “examination of the historic finishes of the theater to inform the decision making process for the upcoming restoration project there.”

Excerpts:

The study was limited to the creation of exposure windows in selected areas of the theater and collection of samples for microscopic examination of colors and decorative techniques on the interior and select areas of the exterior.

Original auditorium ceiling finishes revealed

The Senator Theatre still contains ample evidence of its original highly decorative art deco character.
The limited examination of the decorative interior provides a tantalizing view of the rich detail of
painted and gilded finishes once adorning the interior surfaces. The original palette found in the
Senator featured a varied and rich range of colors not found in the current or any of the campaigns
secondary to the original conception of the interior. The exterior, while not heavily decorated, was in
fact painted a richer and more characteristically art deco palette than the current scheme, which, if
reinstated, will help return the theater to a more characteristic deco feel.

For the full report (PDF), head over to thesenatortheatre.com’s Renovations blog, which includes specific recommendations and an additional analysis of the theatre’s murals and conservation recommendations.

At a public meeting last night, Buzz and Kathleen Cusack announced that the theatre will indeed reopen to the public next Friday (October 15, 2010) as a first run movie house. The first film to screen will be “Red“, starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Mary Louise-Parker, Helen Mirren and others.

Showtimes were not announced, but can be expected to be listed on the new Senator website (http://thesenatortheatre.com) when it launches, as early as 5pm today. Ticket prices announced were $7.50 for matinees (shows starting before 6pm) and $9 for shows beginning after 6pm.

Outer lobby paneling

In regard to renovations, the 100 or so attendees got a first-hand look (and touch) of the recently uncovered original wood paneling in the outer lobby and the likewise inner lobby ceiling mural. Sadly, the latter is covered with so many globs of adhesive (used to anchor the suspensions for the acoustic tiles that were recently removed) that it is intimated to be beyond repair.

It was stressed that the visuals were concepts and that plans are still in the design & development phase and pending approval from the City’s CHAP as well as state and federal officials (to qualify for historic tax credits). Construction, once begun, is expected to take 9 months to 1 year to complete. However, the Cusacks state they expect to keep The Senator open during much of that time, only to close when necessary – for instance – when replacing the main auditorium seats with new, larger models.

For those who could not attend, it was said that the slideshow would be available on the new Senator website.

Recent Posts

Mission

More than just an excellent example of classic art deco architecture, this 1939 theatre is not only a Baltimore landmark, but a community hub supporting local non-profit efforts, school programs & surrounding businesses.
We are dedicated to the protection & preservation of this nationally recognized, historic movie palace for generations to come!